Soggy Serials

Thursday

May 24, 2007 at 7:38 AMMay 24, 2007 at 10:33 AM

Remember September? When TV critics (myself included) were talking up such "must-see" shows as The Nine and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip? When the big question was which kidnapping drama would ultimately prevail - NBC's Kidnapped or Fox's Vanished? And when nearly a dozen heavily serialized shows (those that don't wrap up most story points by the end of each episode) were competing for your attention? Well, September was a long time ago.The Nine and Studio 60 proved to be "must-miss" shows for viewers, who turned away in droves. And though Studio 60 returns to NBC tonight to burn off a few unaired episodes, neither it nor The Nine will return in the fall. Ditto for Kidnapped and Vanished, which pulled disappearing acts of their own. And on May 23, which officially marked the end of the 2006-07 season, only three new serialized shows - NBC's Heroes and Friday Night Lights and ABC's soapy Ugly Betty - were preparing for a second season. CBS's Jericho was the only other serialized show to even make it to a full season.Networks discovered that there was only so much room in the brains of viewers for complicated plots that often involved at least a dozen characters each. Viewers also find such shows hard to jump into if they've missed a few episodes.Vanished and ABC's Six Degrees both tried reboots on different nights to no avail. Kidnapped, The CW's Runaway and Fox's Drive never even made it past a handful of airings. And even half-hour comedies with serial influences - CBS's The Class and ABC's Big Day - failed to catch on.Yes, this was the season that heralded then quickly condemned the TV serial. But it was also the year of happy surprises (after shaky starts, ABC's Brothers & Sisters and NBC's 30 Rock turned into consistent performers) and creative comebacks (who knew ER could get a boost by adding a Full House alumnus?).Here's a look back at more themes that emerged in the past TV season:

Some actors weren’t content delivering good performances in just one show.Peter MacNicol: The versatile actor took a break from playing pontificating college professor Larry Fleinhardt on ‘Numbers’ to help save the world as chief of staff Tom Lennox on ‘24.’Rena Sofer: On ‘24,’ Sofer played the paranoid wife of Jack Bauer’s brother, Graem, who died by season’s end. On ‘Heroes,’ which aired opposite ‘24,’ Sofer played the paralyzed wife of hero Peter Petrelli’s brother, Nathan, who presumably died at season’s end.Patricia Wettig: Though she spent most of the season playing the opportunistic mistress Holly on ‘Brothers & Sisters,’ she also found time to resume her presidential duties on ‘Prison Break.’

Some shows (like ‘Gilmore Girls’ and ‘My Name is Earl’ this season) work actresses’ pregnancies into their storylines. Others go to great lengths to hide their actresses’ expanding waistlines.Marcia Cross: Pillows and well-placed table centerpieces kept Cross’s belly hidden on ‘Desperate Housewives.’ Ironically, when she finally returned from maternity leave, her character was finally showing – Bree was faking a pregnancy to cover for her knocked-up daughter.Julie Bowen: The ‘Boston Legal’ actress spent a few weeks stuck behind a desk before her pregnancy was written into the show.Anna Belknap: It’s a good thing microscopes are big. Belknap spent a lot of time behind lab equipment on ‘CSI: NY.’Diane Farr: On ‘Numbers,’ Farr always donned a big coat when she was in the field, then stayed seated behind a desk back at headquarters.Traylor Howard: Though big coats, car doors and file folders kept her bump concealed on ‘Monk,’ Howard didn’t have to hide when the show’s writers sent her character undercover as a pregnant lady in one episode.

This season proved bloodlines are not black and white.‘Men in Trees’: After white radio host Patrick (Derek Richardson) found out black pilot Buzz (John Amos) was his father, he got a visit from Buzz’s other son, played by Orlando Jones.‘One Tree Hill’: Peyton (Hilarie Burton) was shocked to learn the guy she thought was her long-lost brother was a psycho stalker. Thankfully, her real brother showed up long enough to teach her how to beat up the impostor.‘Grey’s Anatomy’: One of the season finale’s biggest shockers was that Meredith’s sister, who we’d heard was doing well in medical school, just signed on as a new intern at Seattle Grace.‘Lost’: It was finally confirmed this year that Jack (Matthew Fox) and Claire (Emilie de Ravin) were half-siblings. Of course, nobody told them.

Characters logged plenty of time on the couch this season.‘Raines’: Jeff Goldblum’s homicide detective spent part of almost every episode talking to a therapist (Madeline Stowe) on this short-lived NBC show.‘Help Me Help You’: Group therapy was at the heart of this ABC sitcom starring Ted Danson.‘The Sopranos’: Tony’s trips to the shrink are what made this HBO drama stand out from other wiseguy shows, but this season son A.J. (Robert Iler) got his head examined, too.‘Numbers’: Don had to examine his relationships thanks to court-ordered visits that let actor Rob Morrow break free of his character-stifling procedures.‘Bones’: Shooting an ice cream truck sent Agent Booth (David Boreanaz) to a shrink (Stephen Fry) who knew him better than he knew himself.

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